Going on luxury cruises are no longer reserved for the elite few. Everybody can travel the world on the open seas, and discover parts of the world they wouldn’t imagine they would see. If you are planning to go on a cruise this year, here are a few places you might want to consider that’s not as obvious as the Caribbean.
Bergen and the Northern Lights, Norway
Image: Aurora Borealis by Tor Even Mathisen
It is nature’s very own theater. The Northern Lights is a flash of bright blue and green lights that race across the sky and can only been seen in the Northern Arctic region. The best chance to see the Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) is between September and March, but depending on the weather you are not guaranteed to see it. However, if you are lucky enough to be blessed with clear skies and dry weather in the northern parts of Norway then you are in for a visual spectacle.
Aside from the Northern Lights, Norway also offers remarkable hiking trails through its natural beauty and mountainous ranges decorated by vast woodland forests. Another must see is Norway’s former capital Bergen and make time to take a stroll through the Bergen Warf which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (more on UNESCO: 10 of the best World Heritage Sites in Africa).
How to do it
Holland America is offering an eight-night cruise giving you a chance to experience Norway for R23 990. The cruise travels not only through Norway but Amsterdam, Flaam and Eidjord as well.
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The Panama Canal
The Panama Canal is the engineering wonder that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean. The 77-kilometre strip of water was built to spare American and European sailors the agony travelling the extra 8000 km around the South American tip to get from the Atlantic Ocean into the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the greatest man-made structures of the industrial era and remains the gateway to experience the Central American rainforest, and the channel between the East and the West.
How to do it
Celebrity Cruises is offering a 16 night cruise that will give you the chance to experience the Panama Canal for R29 117. The trip ends off in San Diego another must see city.
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Barcelona and the Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean is the epicentre of European culture, art and the birth place of the renaissance. This is where the worlds most influential religions meet, where Africa meets Europe, Christianity meets Islam and Judaism. A must see Mediterranean city is Barcelona. The Catalan capital will dazzle you with its strange animated like architectural designs by world renowned designer Antonio Gaudi. Visit Gaudi’s most famous design the La Sagrada Familia, a temple which is both intriguing and bizarre combining both neo-gothic elements and Catalonia style.
How to do it
Carnival Sunshine is offering a 13 night Mediterranean cruise which takes visitors from Barcelona to Marseille, and Livorno (Pisa/Florence). Ranging from R23 399, this cruise gives you the chance to experience the renaissance art and architecture, as well as white sand beaches and warm weather along this cultural hub.
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New York City, New England and Canada
Canada and New England in the fall are vibrant theatres of colour, natural beauty and busy quaint seaside fishing villages. Travelling north from New York City by sea one will not only discover the mega cities of the United States but also the natural beauty further north such as at Acadia National Park where wildlife such as white dear and the treasured Bald Eagle abound. Along the route is also the Great Bear Rainforest, an untamed strip of virgin land along the British Columbia coastline.
How to do it
The Royal Caribbean is offering an eight night New England and Canada cruise which travels around Boston, Portland, Maine, Bar Harbor, Maine, St John, and Boston. The starting price is R23 839. Celebrity Cruises also offers a package with a 15 night cruise deal that goes from Cape Liberty, New York, US, Portland, Maine, and Cape Liberty. This will set you back by R31 286 per person for a trip.
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Buenos Aires, the Paris of South America
Image: Buenos Aires by David Berkowitz
Buenos Aires is known as the Paris of South America because of its European architecture and culture. However the Latin American soul transcends through the streets and is flaunted by the blissful street tangos, food, and music that adorns this culturally rich city. A stroll through the colourful neighbourhood of La Boca make you instantly fall in love with the city.
How to do it
Holland America is offering a 14 night cruise from Buenos Aires, to Montevideo, Puerto Madryn, Straits of Magellan and Valparaiso for R31 999.
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The Winter’s Palace at St. Petersburg, Russia
St. Petersburg offers something for everybody: a rich cultural history, and boundless classical architecture. The city inspired some of the greatest 19th century literary icons, and the city was so beautiful that Stalin left it untouched during his forced industrialisation and rebuilding period. A must-see in St. Petersburg is the Winter’s Palace, a dominant structure in the St. Petersburg square, the palace designed by some of Europe’s greatest architects and commissioned to be built by Peter the Great, the structure is the embodiment of the wealth that was in the possession of the old Czars.
How to do it
The Royal Caribbean is offering a cruise through the Baltic Sea giving you not only a chance to see St. Petersburg, but the Scandinavian coastline as well for R23 499.
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The Route to The East
Taking a voyage en route to the mystical East, on one of the most travelled routes of the 16th century, is a must. Asia carries two thirds of the world’s population and is a melting pot of cultures and religions. The Far East mixes old-world architecture with extreme modernisation of the new world in places such as Japan and China. There is also boundless beauty to be seen around the Pacific Islands of Singapore and Malaysia. And, of course, soaking yourself in the sun on the white sand beaches of the Pacific Islands is just a bonus.
How to do it
To experience a taste of Japan and China, Holland America Line is offering a 15-night cruise around Kobe, Nagasaki, Pusan, Dalian, Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong for R22 999. Or to experience the islands of South East Asia Celebrity Cruises is offering a 16 night cruise around Hong Kong, Haiphong (Hanoi), Halong Bay, Haiphong (Hanoi), and Singapore for R35 360.
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